Allow me to share. I have two extremely visible tattoos. The small Hebrew one (Yahweh) was covered up by a very large (and, let's just be honest, hideous) dove while in Israel due to the problems I had with orthodox Jews and the Hebrew tattoo. Honestly, piercings and tattoos were a kind of commemoration, but not a good or honorable kind. They were just evidence of an emotionally unhealthy girl who marked/marred her body during/after significant times. Even now, I could tell you what large life events were going on at the time of each piercing or tattoo (including coloring, covering up, and filling in of said tattoos). Now, being an older and slightly less emotionally unhealthy girl, my feelings about them are mixed. Obviously, they're a pain. (Go figure I'd move to a country where tattoo parlors are illegal and the only people with them are either crazy or gangsters.) I have to wear wristbands at work to cover them. Removing the hideous bird will cost me 800 US dollars. So to an extent, I do regret them. But now they commemorate something entirely different to me. Now they are further evidence of God's grace to me - not only through His salvation, but also through Him changing me into the likeness of His Son (saving me from myself, if you will). As if saying, "Look how far He has brought me." I have more thoughts on it, but I've said enough for now. And keep in mind, I'm not making a blanket statement about all tattoos and or people who get them. I'm just talking about myself.

 

^Resa

Your comments bring to mind another thought I’ve had, namely the potentially unhealthy foundation of marking up one's body. On the show, tattoos are presented as a coping mechanism. Yet, I can't help but notice that many who have come to commemorate a death of a loved one or to hide self-inflicted scars (e.g., the client who cut her body because she didn't think she was skinny enough) are not, at least in my opinion from listening to them, healed.

 

^^Rickie W.

 

well, I've always been pretty conservative but I have a thing for tattoo's. I got one as a birthday gift on my 25th birthday. (you can see a picture of it here: http://photos1.blogger.com/img/267/2037/640/000_2743.jpg)

It's small and simple, but it's meaningful to me. I actually would like one more on my other upper forearm and that being the symbol of the trinity. I guess to me tattoo's are nothing more than a more permanent decoration in the vein of an earring and therefore I have no problems with it. I don't erally care, to be honest, if people get to see my tattoo, although I don't hide it either, it's definitely something that I like for me and so I'm glad that I got mine!

 

Right on, Micah...I don't understand why people have issues with permanent ink, but absolutely no problem with 2+ holes in their ears, etc. Well, amend that, I guess I do understand: it's completely where society stands on things at the moment, you know? One hole in each ear is fine with about 95% of the American population today, 2 holes in each: 85% (statistics simply averages from life experience thus far), it's all about what the majority is comfortable with, and what different generations associate with certain things. Nose rings were accepted in Bible times (Gifts to Rebecca) and yet nowadays most people see that as a sign of rebellion.

 

i don't really see anything wrong with tattoos at all. i think that it can be something dumb that might be regretted later in life but nothing immoral or ingerently wrong. i personally like tattoos and think it would be great if i could rock arm sleeves and look cool doing it, but i know i would look like a total idiot so i wouldn't even consider it. i do plan on getting two tattoos in the future. both of the ones i want to get have very personal meanings to me and i'm getting them somewhere they won't be seen unless i want them too, for practical reasons mostly (getting a job, avoiding arguments about tattoos, etc) it's just something i want to do personally for myself and no one else.
-jared

 

i like tattoos if they are tasteful and actually mean something. most tats, however, do not. sure, the people will tell you that those chinese letters or that tribal celtic doo-dad is important to them, but unless they had that book in the tattoo parlor to pick from that (hopefully) described what they meant, they really have no clue.

reminds me of a tv show i saw not too long ago, can't remember the name. this guy got some chinese letters on his arm thinking it meant dragon or something like that. he was on the subway and a chinese man made mention of it, asking if he knew what it really meant. chinese guy said "when 2 men in love, you da man who plays da woman!"

 

Why I got my tattoo:
I had a miscarraige last year, after seeing my baby and its' heartbeat on a sonagram. I have been blessed with one daughter whom I love so much that it's almost painful. I lost my mother when I was five months pregnant with my daughter. For my birthday, I got a small, heart-shaped tattoo representing a mother cradling an infant. To me, this celebrates motherhood. It is a symbol of my love for my daughter, my love and grief for the baby that I lost, and my love for my own mother. That the love of family never ends. Just my two cents.
--Val--
Resa's sister

 

^Val,

...a beautiful expression. Thank you for coming and sharing your very personal insights. Your two cents has brought more worth than gold could buy.

 

Your two cents made me cry! (You still need to send me a picture of it, by the way.)